Prince Andrew has given Netflix's new film "Scoop" two thumbs up. The movie, which premiered last week, was inspired by Prince Andrew's 2019 BBC interview on his relationship with the late convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.
The Daily Beast reported that the "disgraced" Duke of York liked "Scoop" and was "delighted" with Rufus Sewell's portrayal of him in the film. The publication cites Andrew's unidentified "friend," who claims to have spoken with him since the film's release.a
"Obviously, Andrew regrets doing the interview, and if he had his time again he wouldn't do it. That said, he feels Scoop is much more even-handed than he expected," the insider told the outlet. "It's fair to say he was delighted by Rufus Sewell's portrayal of him," the alleged pal claimed.
The film, based on the book "Scoops" by former "Newsnight" talent booker Sam McAlister, depicted the events leading up to Prince Andrew's catastrophic November 2019 interview with "Newsnight" presenter Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson).
In his interview, Prince Andrew famously stated that he could not physically sweat and could not have had sex with a teenage girl because he was having pizza night with his children at the time.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her at Epstein's home when she was 17. The duke refuted her claims and resolved her lawsuit against him in 2022.
Days after the BBC interview, Prince Andrew stated that he would stand down from public life for the "foreseeable future."
Queen Elizabeth II later deprived her son of his military allegiances, royal patronages, and the right to use the title "His Royal Highness" in any formal setting.
While "Scoop" concentrated on Prince Andrew's humiliating moment, the Duke of York believes it did an excellent job highlighting his "valuable" work as a royal before he was compelled to quit accepting royal engagements.
"I think the show, to the satisfaction of everyone who actually knows the guy, made clear that Andrew was an extremely good convener of people. He did actually play a valuable role for the royals with Pitch@Palace and his other business-focused advocacy work," a second unidentified tipster told The Daily Beast.
Prince Andrew launched the charity Pitch@Palace, which connects entrepreneurs with companies, in 2014 but quit in 2019 following the controversy. His work on the platform was featured in the film before McAlister (Billie Piper) began attempting to book the royal for a "Newsnight" interview.
"When he was at a business meet-and-greet in a conference room in Hong Kong, there was real energy when he entered the room," the second pal claimed of Prince Andrew.
"Those things are otherwise as dull as ditch water. He flew the flag for British business. He knows he screwed up monumentally over Epstein -- but nobody is now doing what he did then. He still has a lot to offer," it furthered.
An unidentified "friend" of King Charles and Queen Camilla also informed the site that it was "unlikely" that the cancer-stricken monarch would watch the Netflix drama. Business Times has contacted Buckingham Palace for comments on "Scoop."
Prince Andrew has kept a quiet profile since retiring from public life but has been glimpsed with the royal family at a few public engagements. He was last seen at the Easter Sunday Service at Windsor with his sister, Princess Anne, and ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
The Duke of York also looked in good spirits as he welcomed well-wishers at St. George's Chapel on March 31, only days before "Scoop" premiered on Netflix.
Meanwhile, according to a new poll, although they are no longer referred to as HRH, Prince Andrew and Meghan Markle remain the UK's most minor famous royals, The Independent reported.
A recent survey revealed that the disgraced Duke of York, whose car-crash "Newsnight" interview is now the focus of not one but two distinct TV dramas, was seen negatively by 86% of respondents.
His low ranking was followed by Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, whose new health business is unlikely to appeal to the 64% of Britons who acknowledged having negative feelings toward her. Their decline in popularity contrasts sharply with Prince William and Princess Kate, Prince and Princess of Wales, who both led the polls after earning the nation's admiration for their bravery in dealing with Kate's cancer diagnosis.
Prince Andrew's lack of popularity stems from his affiliation with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which caused him to resign from public office four years ago. In January 2022, he was revoked of his HRH title after being accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim. He has angrily and repeatedly refuted these allegations.
The following month, Prince Andrew secured an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre worth millions of pounds, which included damages and a donation to her organization "in support of victims' rights." The Duke of York said in a statement confirming the payment that he "regrets his association with Epstein and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others."
Meghan was ranked as the second most unpopular royal. Most, if not all, fans are aware that the "Suits" alum became a controversial figure after she and Prince Harry shockingly decided to step down as working royals, claiming charges of racism within the royal circle and widespread media intrusion.
Prince Harry could have fared better in the poll, with 61 percent of respondents having a poor opinion of the Duke of Sussex. On the other hand, Princess Kate emerged as the UK's favorite royal, with 76% of respondents saying they viewed her positively.
This follows Princess Kate's recent health issues, which began when she stepped down from public activities in January for planned stomach surgery. While she was supposed to return after Easter, the wife of Prince William divulged that she is battling cancer and will not resume her duties until "she is cleared to do so by her medical team."
Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis came just months after that of King Charles, which was publicized in February. The monarch's cancer was discovered in January during a regular operation to address an enlarged prostate.
In the poll, the monarch received generally positive feedback, with 63% of respondents stating they had a favorable opinion of the king. King Charles was trounced in this popularity contest by his younger sister, Princess Anne, whom 71% of respondents viewed positively.
Prince William was seen positively by 73% of respondents, just 3% less than Princess Kate. The survey comes at a difficult time for the Royal family, which has been devastated by King Charles and Princess Kate's cancer diagnoses.
This has ultimately resulted in removing two of the family's most senior members while their spouses rally to support them and continue to perform official tasks. In both cases, the kind and severity of the cancer were not reported.
The dilemma emerged when King Charles declared plans to reduce the monarchy's size in order to provide the British public with fair value for money. Princess Anne stated that she did not believe this was a "nice idea" at the time. At the moment, there are only nine working royals remaining, most of whom are elderly and unknown.
